What is waiting time?

Waiting time is the period from when you submit your documents for your application at the police, embassy, or application centre until you receive a decision. The period from when you registered your application to you submit your documents is not included in the waiting time.

For example, you may have registered your application on 1 June, but not received an appointment to submit your documents at the police until 1 August. In this case, the waiting time is counted from 1 August.

How we calculate waiting times

The waiting times are based on the applications we are currently processing. If the waiting time is six months, this means that the cases we are now processing are approximately six months old. We update the waiting times regularly.

Waiting times may change

We usually process the oldest application first. Some applications take longer than others, so the waiting times are only a guide and cannot show exactly when you will get a decision.

If waiting times change, they apply to both new and submitted applications. For example, if you applied three months ago and the waiting time changes from six to eight months, it will be eight months until you receive a decision on your application.

This can affect the waiting time

The waiting time can be affected by:

• The number of applicants
• Changes in your situation
• Conflicts and unrest in other countries
• Missing documents
• Additional investigations, such as DNA tests and interviews
• If you have a criminal record

When the waiting time is longer than indicated

In some cases, the waiting time may be longer than indicated. This can happen, for example, if additional investigations are needed, a family member must receive a decision first, or if your permit may be revoked.

If additional investigations are required, such as a DNA test or an interview, your application may need to be sent back to the police or embassy. How long this takes varies from place to place. To see how long you may need to wait, check the waiting times at the police (external website) and the waiting times at the embassy (external website).

In some cases, we must make a decision on your family member’s application before we can make a decision on yours. If additional investigations are needed in your family member’s case, your application may take longer than the indicated waiting time.

If your permit may be revoked, it can result in longer waiting times for your other applications.